Platinum is one of the primary elements used to reduce emissions. Platinum is dispersed on a carrier in a catalytic converter of a vehicle and a reduction of emission occurs when exhaust gases contact platinum on the surface of the catalytic converter. Thus, it is desirable to disperse the platinum as uniformly as possible on the catalytic converter.
A radioisotopic two-scan technique is currently in use which measures the distribution of noble metal on catalytic converters. However, such techniques require a scan both before and after application of the platinum in order to determine the distribution of platinum, by difference between the two scans.
Electromagnetic (gamma and x-rays) have been used for single-scan elemental analysis, for example to analyze the gold content of an object using a barium isotope. This analysis method for determining gold is not suitable for platinum because platinum cannot be detected using barium.
Thus, it would be advantageous to have a single scan technique which would reduce analysis time, which would be platinum specific, and which would not be affected by the presence of other elements co-deposited with platinum on a substrate such as a catalytic converter.